natalini 1/8/21 natalini 1/8/21

Weekend Design Project

CREATE A ROOM LAYOUT

“*In drawing, nothing is better than the first attempt."*
- Pablo Picasso

You do not need to be great at sketching or visualizing to create a room layout. As you will see in the slideshow below, I have provided my own quick sketches with strange perspectives and blown out wacky walls and I have a design degree. When I have an idea for a space I have to get it out immediately, odd room perspective and all. I know that the accurate details and measurements will get worked out. I just need that time to flesh out the big vision before I get technical. Developing the ability to sketch out an idea or space plan will help you communicate your ideas to contractors, designers and retail associates so you can remain in control of your vision and your budget.

3 STEPS TO SKETCHING A ROOM LAYOUT

Choose a room in your home. Think about how you want to use this space. Write these ideas down and create a list of equipment, furniture, storage and fixtures you will need for this space. For example, if you want to turn a spare bedroom into a home gym, your list would look something like this; a stationary bike, treadmill, weight bench, weights and storage rack for weights, a yoga mat, a foam roller, mirrors, a water cooler or mini fridge…just to name a few necessary items.
- On paper, draw the basic shape of the room and make note of closets, alcoves, doors and windows locations.
Measure the space. Length x Width = Area (area is the square footage). Next, measure the wall height and distance from the floor to the bottom of any window. This is helpful for deciding the equipment or furniture space plan. Measure any alcoves and closets the same way. Think of the whole room and all of its usable space. Now that you have the dimensions together, you will have a better idea of what will fit and the possible placement for equipment. This is where the details start to take shape and items get nixed from the wish list.
- On the paper where you sketched the basic room shape, draw circles, rectangles and squares closely resembling the shapes of the equipment or furniture. Create more whole room layouts to see what may work best for you. This part can be frustrating and fun at the same time. It’s time to get accurate equipment or furniture measurements to see where each item will fit best in the room. This is where your superior problem solving skills come in. TIP: Use painter’s or masking tape on the floor to outline the exact dimensions of the equipment or furniture. This will look a bit like a crime scene, but it’s a great way to see how your space will function before committing to any big purchases.
Sourcing equipment or furniture, creating a budget, and the finished space plan.
- Thrift stores, store and gym closing sales, craigslist, trade with family or friends, Overstock, World Market, Article, All Modern, (Marshalls, TJ Max, Home Sense, Home Goods)…
- Pick an amount you’re comfortable spending on your new room. Consider the extras like paint and accessories like a basket for yoga mats or plants in addition to the decided equipment or furniture. With a room makeover you have more control over the budget and can keep it simple versus a more intense renovation having plumbing or electrical conflicts eat at your budget.
- Tadaa, you’re ready for scheduling deliveries and setting up your new space. Don’t forget the remove the tape from the floor.
Conclusion: When in doubt, sketch it out. There are no limits to what you can dream or sketch. Be free and have fun. Who knows, you may find a new stress relieving hobby in sketching. If you lose focus and need design assistance, I'm here for you.

Kitchen Layout

House Floor Plan

Master Bathroom Vanity

Office

Mudroom

note the x-ray vision opposing wall. Oy, my brain sees through walls somehow.

Main Bathroom

Sketchy Kitchen Layout

Spoiler alert: the pizza oven never made it as it would have gotten to 800 degrees which was not good for the rest of the house.

Shelf Brackets

These brackets were handmade from a maker on Etsy. They were used for the open shelving in the kitchen.

Master Bedroom

There was a backyard view so the bed was positioned to float in the middle of the room with a mid-century dresser as the headboard as well as the view on entry of the room. See the finished room on the Projects & Inspiration page.

natalini 1/7/21 natalini 1/7/21

Home Sanctuary

CREATING A SPACE FOR MENTAL WELLNESS

***“In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you.”*** - Anonymous

Find a small corner or spot near a window.
Think about what scent make you feel at peace. Some examples are Lavender, Vanilla, Citrus, Peppermint, Sage, Sandalwood and Palo Santo (my favorite) just to name a few. This scent can be in the form of essential oils, candles, room sprays or incense.
Choose calming music like; Tibetan singing bowls, nature sounds, theta waves, ASMR, a guided meditation or silence if you dare. There are YouTube channels for each of these examples. Also, set a timer if you are new to meditation or if you’re incorporating a meditation practice into your busy daily routine. Now, choose a word like; peace, focus, me, health, love, strive, strong… to repeat silently when your mind wanders.
Use a floor pillow, couch cushion or a folded blanket for support. Sit with a straight back, chin parallel to the floor, hands resting on your knees, shoulders, neck and face relaxed. A way to ensure you are relaxing those muscles is by tightening all of your muscles and holding it for 5 seconds and then let it all gooo.
You’re all set. Enjoy and go easy on yourself since this is a practice.

Deep Breathing: Take 30 deep breaths slowly. It’s okay if you feel lightheaded for a minute. It will pass and you will feel invigorated.

natalini 1/6/21 natalini 1/6/21

Glittered Popcorn Ceiling & Textured Walls 1990-2020

This is a story about a selfless mother and her determined designer daughter.

Home Improvements can be achieved with small budgets. Sometimes just refreshing a space adds the necessary value a home needs.

Picture it, USA, the 1990’s, glittered popcorn ceilings being blasted upon ceilings across America while mint green textured walls followed closely behind. Fast forward to 2005 when a selfless woman and her less than handy husband purchased a house in need of cosmetic updates. Fast forward 4x to the spring/summer of 2020 when the world had a bit of extra time on their hands to attempt home improvement projects. Cue the selfless woman’s daughter (that’s me) and her obsession for all things design to take it upon herself to forcefully tackle her mother’s neglected room. To the selfless woman, I say your “someday” came, lady and you more than deserved it. As for the task I willingly took on, I have to hand it to you (Glittered Popcorn Ceiling & Green Textured Walls), you put up a good fight, challenged my patience and had me doubting my abilities. I’m not gonna lie, there were tears and bloodshed. In the end, I believe I’m a better person and a better designer for this experience. Do I want to do it again? Pause for hesitation—only if I absolutely have no other option. I would do it all over again for my mom. She loves her new room and is in the long process of getting her final pieces of furniture. Follow up afters to come.

I’d like to take a moment to thank the YouTube home improvement experts from far and wide, I couldn’t have done it without you guys. You have all inspired me to keep going and helped me out with tips and tricks along the way.

This project took me close to two months to complete starting in late May with the carpet, bed frame and mattress being delivered in August.

Before & After

The end result!

Extreme Makeover Winner

This hopeless case was an obstacle and a home improvement middle finger to those who dare address it (me). Well, it’s quite evident who won this battle. Thank you very much.

The Juice

This is magical juice! The ceiling scrapped off so easily. It was actually the best product for the textured walls. Without it I would still be scrapping 8 months later.

What started out as a party...

ended as a happy hour event. Yes, that’s right, they left me. Day 1 started with all hands on deck and ended with me scraping away wondering how long this was going to take to smooth out let alone to finish completely. Thanks family!

"Dextering" 101

After applying the Popcorn Ceiling Remover I taped up clear plastic drop cloths for 12 plus hours.

Anything goes

Nothing is off limits when all else falls or takes too long for my level of patience. I sweat that shit off. That old paint melted into the scraper. Progress.

YES!

The scrapping was so satisfying after having steamed the walls covered in the popcorn ceiling solution.

This times 3 = tada

This magical mixture concealed all of those 90’s blemishes plus the dings and scrapes made smoothing the texture.

No, this is not from Scarface...

As dusty as it got, it was outranked by the sloppy, wet, 25 year old paint, paper and popcorn mixture that stuck to all my everything.

Almost there...

This was the light at the end of a long tunnel and many dark nights of my soul.

natalini 1/5/21 natalini 1/5/21

Wellness Tea

Daily Healing Spice Tea Recipe

This easy to make anti-inflammatory mixture was created to be a remedy for so many ailments. Each ingredient has vast benefits from cell repair to regulating blood sugar and cholesterol levels, Add a dash or three of each and adjust to your personal preference. Enjoy!

Cinnamon (Ceylon)
Garlic Powder
Cayenne
Ground Turmeric
Ginger
Cardamom Seed
Cumin
Italian Parsley

This mixture makes an aromatic and delicious soup broth. Add your favorite vegetables with some tapioca flour for thickening and nutritional yeast in place of cheese.

*This recipe is not a cure for any diagnosed disease and I am not a licensed medical professional. Please check with a physician before creating this recipe as some spices and herbs interfere with certain medications. Be safe, do your research, ask questions and use your intuition when making health decisions.

natalini 1/4/21 natalini 1/4/21

A Functioning Home

Create a simple sketch of a space to reimagine a new furniture layout. This is a scrappy loose sketch so no need for an architecture degree.

Space Plan Evaluation

Evaluate the efficiency of your home with a few questions.

FEELING: How does my home feel when I enter and how would I like to feel when I enter my home?
ORGANIZATION: Do you feel organized? Do you have storage issues?
SPACE: Are there rooms in your home that are not in use? For example; a spare room with random furniture, a creepy basement, narrow alcoves, oddly shaped closets?

Here is a 3 step guide to answering these questions to make adjustments and improve the everyday functioning of your home.

Think about a restaurant, cafe, hotel or B&B you visited and felt like you could live there. Write down everything you loved about that space. The more details, the better. What was the scent like, what were the colors, materials and fabrics like, was here a views, did you hear music? Which of those can you add to your home to bring you that same feeling you admired so much?
Do you have areas in your home where stuff accumulates or unfinished spaces that are at the bottom of the to-do list? What about where your essential items are located? Pay attention to your “flight paths” and the “dumping grounds” around your home. How about collections, are they prominently displayed or packed in boxes for someday when there’s space for them? Create a list any frustrations and inconveniences that arise from navigating your home. Keep this going for about a week to be sure to capture the day in the life of you as best as possible. Quick solution: add a decorative basket of your choosing to the “dumping ground” area to eliminate the visual clutter.
Got a spare room for your “I might need that someday” stuff? Are you short on space let alone have storage for extras? Believe it or not, these are solutions to both of these design dilemmas. Take a tour of your rooms, closets, drawers, cabinets, creepy basement, shared storage space, odd nooks and crawl spaces throughout your home and make list of each space and what is currently occupying these areas. Write a wish list of spaces you’d love to have for a collection, a hobby or every day use. Quick solution: start moving like items together to get a proper assessment of how much space you will need to for your new area. Use this method for decluttering a space to create a functioning office, guest room, creative studio, craft room, game room, library with collectables… Happy assessing, sketching and shapeshifting your personal space.